Need help in identifying illness

Hi there, we got our flock of 6 hens in July. For several weeks now one of them has been sick and I can't figure out from googling and reading what it is she has. When it started it appeared to be diarrhea, but we cleaned her up and that stopped soon after. But then her feathers started looking a bit rough, she stopped laying (she only laid for a week or two), gained a bit of weight but is normal now, and now has what almost looks like mould around the comb and top of her head. She seemed a bit lethargic when it first started but for the last while has been running, scratching, eating, roosting etc with all the others. The rest of the flock seems fine and production has not seemed to be affected, except for this one who hasn't laid for 6-7 weeks now. Any thoughts would help! Cheers,

Welcome to BYC. How old are the hens? The one in the picture could be molting, or she may have had some feathers pecked out by the others. One thing to look ot for is favus, a fungal infection that can be treated with antifungal creams, such as Lotrimin or Monistat--generics are less expensive. Look her over for evidence of lice or mites as well. The first big molt occurs around 16-18 months of age, and then yearly thereafter. Molting hens stop laying eggs for a month or two, and usually act a bit subdued or puny. If she is not molting, then I would look around to see if she is hiding her nest somewhere. Reproductive problems such as internal laying or egg yolk peritonits become more common as they age.

Thanks so much for the reply. I had thought favus too from descriptions and photos, but I would have thought it would have spread through the flock. I have not segregated her from the rest. They were 17 weeks in July when I got them, so seems it may be early for a molt.

We live in coastal British Columbia, Canada if that makes a difference.

You're welcome. I have one chicken in a large flock that occasionally gets the white spots on her comb like the chicken below, which I think is a mild case of favus. It has never spread, and I just apply a bit of antifungal cream to it.

Quote:Welcome to BYC. In the second pic, it looks like a single fowl pox scab, but in the first pic, it looks like peck marks or insect bites. Sometimes it can be difficult to differentiate unless the pox scabs are more numerous. Fowl pox is a virus spread by mosquitoes that usually lasts about 2-3 weeks.